State encourages same-sex couples to adopt

It has been more than three full years now since the United States Supreme Court legalized same-sex marriage across the nation. In that time, however, gay and lesbian couples have still encountered many challenges when it comes to finding ways to become parents and ways to establish legal parentage for both parents.

Some of the challenges faced by a same-sex couple are based in biology, forcing people to seek alternative methods of reproduction as two women or two men simply cannot produce a child naturally. Other challenges, however, are brought about by societal mindsets or administrative roadblocks. As reported earlier this year by NBC News, many states are continuing to support actions that either make it harder or completely prevent gay and lesbian couples from adopting children. Connecticut, however, has taken steps in the opposite direction and is opening its arms to parents regardless of sexual orientation. The latest move focuses on children who are under the care of the state and in need of either being adopted or living with a foster family.

An effort led by the Connecticut Department of Children and Families is encouraging more LGBTQ couples to become foster parents and adoptive parents for the many children in state care who are unlikely to ever return to their biological families. As of May 2018, there were an estimated 100 such couples in the system and the state was hoping to increase that number to at least 250 by the start of 2019.

If you want to learn more about being an adoptive or foster parent, please feel free to visit the LGBTQ family rights page of our Connecticut family law website.

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